higher education funding

New Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has said he will prioritize funding for the state's colleges and universities. Nonetheless, the Western Illinois University administration has said more deep budget cuts might be necessary.

Two dozen faculty members at Western Illinois University will lose their jobs as the university contends with declines in student enrollment and state financial support. During a special meeting of Western's Board of Trustees on Thursday, Chair Cathy Early said the university is repositioning itself while remaining fiscally responsible.

Higher education has been among the areas feeling the pain from the state budget impasse in Illinois as funding has been cut. It has forced some schools to reduce classes, lay off employees, and, in some cases, close for several days.

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner struck an upbeat tone in his third State of the State address Wednesday. He also tried to project an image of someone willing to compromise -- but in such a way that Democrats say he glossed over his own role in the crisis that's hobbling Illinois government.

The 93rd Illinois House District includes one public university and two community colleges. Incumbent Representative Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) believes she's served higher education well and she's running for a fourth term. Her Democratic opponent John Curtis believes the state should be doing a better job of supporting higher education and thinks he can help reverse course on the trend of declining state aid.

Higher education in Illinois has been caught in a continuing battle over the budget. Public universities have struggled to make ends meet without any state aid in the first eight months of this fiscal year.

Higher education in Illinois has been caught in a continuing battle over the budget. Public universities have struggled to make ends meet without any state aid in the first eight months of this fiscal year.

A crisis management team has been formed to help Chicago State University navigate budgetary peril. State higher education leaders are working to prevent CSU from closing, after eight months of waiting on state funding.

All of Chicago State University’s 900 employees are on notice – they’ll lose their jobs if the governor and lawmakers don’t come through with cash.

Low-income college students who were promised state help paying for their tuition will continue to go without it. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has followed through on his pledge to reject funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP).

A coalition of education, labor, and non-profit organizations is urging the governor and legislative leaders to cut the cost of higher education for students by providing more funding for its colleges and universities.

Money can now be released in Illinois to local governments and community organizations that have been waiting for state funding since July. The Senate was in Springfield briefly Monday to approve the funding; within hours the governor had signed the plan into law.

As state funding for colleges and universities declines in Illinois, the lieutenant governor said the schools need to find ways to remain accessible to a wide range of students.

The problem is multi-faceted. The state legislature has cut support for universities in recent years. Those schools then raise tuition. That means more students rely on financial aid, but the state has been cutting that too.